C.V. Balakrsishnan, a prominent novelist and short-story writer of Malayalam, has alleged that superstars are responsible for the current problems in the Malayalam cinema industry. Malayalam cinema started facing problems after superstars replaced directors as the centre of cinema, he said on Tuesday at a function organised to felicitate Priyanandanan, director of Pulijanman that won the National Award for the best film, and its scriptwriters N. Prabhakaran and N. Sasidharan.
"The director used to be the centre of cinema in the past. The hegemony of superstars changed the environment in the Malayalam cinema field. The contemporary cinema world is full of tension that is not favourable for making good movies," he added.
Apart from a literary personality, Balakrishnan is also a prominent film personality. He has worked with several prominent Malayalam film makers and penned scripts for many hit Malayalam films like Irattakuttikalude Achan, Kochu Kochu Santoshangal, Mattoraal and Puravritham. His book Cinimayude Idangal- a study on cinema got the State Film Award for Best Book on Cinema in 2002.
